In nature, populations of animals grow in proportion to available food supply; when populations of animals grossly exceed their available food supply, population collapse often results. In the case of the human population, a similar growth trend has occurred, on account of enhances in methods of food production and availability of sources of energy, for example fossil hydrocarbon fuels, for providing energy for farming and food distribution. The human population is presently around 7 billion people and growing at an approximately exponential trajectory as a function of time. An eventual human population collapse from circa 9 billion people to around 500 million to 1 billion people is expected to occur at a point in time in the future as effects of “peak oil” begin to impact economies of technologically-advanced societies, and energy-per-capita begins to reduce to non-sustainable levels; such a scenario is elucidated in a publication “The Olduvai Theory: Energy, Population and Industrial Civilization”, Dr. Richard C. Duncan, Winter 2005-2006, J. Social Contract. The Bilderberg Group and the United Nations have been concerned about potential future human population collapse for many years and have recommended various policies to try to address this issue at an international level.
In technologically-advanced societies, for example as a result of mechanisation in farming, a relatively smaller portion of human population is required to execute functions of food production and food distribution, thereby enabling a remainder of the human population to concentrate on other activities, often within urban environments. From United Nations statistics, soon over 50% of World human population will be living in urban environments (namely “homo urbanis”).
Human activity creates waste, wherein such waste needs to be removed from urban environments in order to avoid a disruption of orderly functioning of such urban environments. As human population grows as aforementioned, existing resources become divided amongst ever more people, such that an increase in operating efficiency of human society is needed if a standard of living enjoyed by people is to be maintained in future. Operating efficiency of human society can be increased by employing recycling, wherein waste in itself becomes a potential resource. However, recycling activities themselves require resources, for example hydrocarbon fossil fuel for propelling waste collection vehicles, and salaries of waste collection staff which are subsequently used by to buy products and services requiring resources for their implementation. Thus, it is important, for a sustainable human population, that waste recycling activities are implemented in such a manner that they provide a net real benefit to the population.
The exponential growth in urban human population, the development of social economy, and improvements in human living standards have resulted in a significant increase in the amount of waste generation. It has thus been necessary to develop new technologies which aid efficient management of waste in urban environments. More recently, urban waste has been viewed as a resource, especially when its materials can be recycled, thereby avoiding environmental damage resulting from primary resource extraction activities; for example, urban waste includes many organic materials which can be bio-converted to peat-like materials, and many combustible materials which can be employed as a source of heating fuel in communal incinerators, for example in combined heat-and-power facilities.
In order that urban waste can be most beneficially recycled and/or disposed of, it is desirable that waste disposal methods are as efficient as possible in relation to resource utilization, for example energy utilization and personnel resource utilization.
In a published United States patent no. U.S. Pat. No. 7,957,937B2 (“Systems and methods for material management”; Applicant—WM Trash Monitor Plus; Inventor—Waitkus), there is described a system and method for scheduling the emptying or replacement of a waste container based upon a degree to which the container is filled with waste, or a pattern of usage of the container. Such factors are considered to predict when the waste container will become completely full, and thus requiring to be emptied. Moreover, the system and method are operable to consider customer preferences and/or limitations of a waste hauler which is utilized to empty the waste container; the system and method determine, based upon the factors, an optimal time for the waste container to be emptied or replaced by the waste hauler. Furthermore, the factors are also used to determine when to accomplish suitable scheduling, namely when to notify the waste hauler that the waste container should be emptied or replaced at a given time. The method employs a computerized scheduling sub-system for scheduling purposes. However, such a system may struggle in a real-world situation due to lack of optimized approaches and accurate prediction algorithms, thereby requiring improved sensors which overcome these issues in a more efficient manner.
Smart waste containers are known; for example, in a published U.S. patent application no. US2009/0126473A1 (“Method and device to indicate the content of garbage cans and vessels”; Inventors—Porat, Havosha, Shvarzman and Katan), there is described a measuring arrangement for measuring the content of vessels and relaying that information to persons remote from the vessels. However, such a measuring arrangement employs algorithms that may require updating and maintenance, as well as incurring in use high data-transmission costs, as well as other maintenance activities such as frequent battery changes. Thus, in relation to smart waste containers, there is a considerable contemporary need for improved remote sensors for use in smart waste containers that address aforementioned problems in a more efficient manner.
Although systems and apparatus for smart waste container collection are known, there exists a need for a sensor device for use in remote monitoring of waste within a waste container enabling optimized collection of waste in urban environments.
For example, in a published International Publication No. WO/2012/015664 (Electrically—Powered Programmable Waste Enclosure; Inventors—POSS, and SATWICZ; Applicant—BIG BELLY SOLAR, INC., US) there is described a waste enclosure device comprising a waste enclosure employing operational functions including collection and monitoring capacity wherein said device includes one or more programmable logic controllers. Operational functions are performed by electrical components including sensors to determine waste deposits characteristics and contents. Said device operational functions are further adapted to send and receive data, optionally wirelessly, and configured and adapted to utilize solar derived electric power and, optionally, electric power from other sources. Further said publication proposes to use solar collectors connected to battery for charging the batteries in the device. This solution is costly and complex and requires parts which might get broken during the operations.
Another example, in a published International Publication No. WO/2008/020223 (context monitoring for remote sensor platforms; Inventors-ROBINSON and LAM; Applicant—Circuitree Limited, GB) there is described a remote sensor platform for asset tracking monitors the context of the local environment to conserve power. Primary sensors (2) monitor local environment stimuli such as temperature (4), pressure or illumination (8). A low-power processor (16) uses the primary sensors (2) to monitor the environment and thereby determine whether to activate a secondary high power sensor (10), such as a GPS unit (12) or humidity or gas sensor (14). The low power processor may be triggered by the primary sensors (2) and may use configurable rules (22) for decision making. It may log exceptions (24) and sensor data for further decision making. A high-power processor (28) sends sensor data via a reporting means (34) to a server (40) using secondary configurable rules (3) conditionally on the primary (2) and secondary (10) sensor inputs. The server (40) can update the rules (22,30).
Document WO 2012/151185 presents a method and apparatus for preventing excessive battery passivation in an electronic meter-reading module. The module operates in a low-power state most of the time. The low-power state is interrupted at defined transmit times, wherein the module temporarily turns on or otherwise activates an included communication transmitter, for wireless transmission of data to a remote node. Because of its low current draw during the times between data transmissions, the module's battery is vulnerable to passivation layer buildup. Advantageously, however, the module is configured to perform dummy activations of its transmitter at times other than the defined transmit times, e.g., in the intervals between data transmissions. These dummy activations are not for data transmission, but rather are temporary activations of the relatively high-power transmitter, for reducing passivation layer buildup on the battery in advance of a next data transmission. Document JP 2989076 presents a terminal network controller provided with a battery, a microcomputer and a voltage detection circuit. The microcomputer serves to perform chloride film removal operation every specified time, conduct the chloride film removal operation after a certain time again in the case whether a voltage lowering detection signal is input from the voltage detection circuit during the chloride film removal operation and discriminate whether there is the voltage lowering detection signal at the time.
Waste management industries are growing and need efficient processes to increase revenue margins and to optimize associated resource utilization. From data provided in “Environmental Business International” publication, the US solid waste industry has grown from a value of 39.4 billion US dollars in the year 2000 to a value of 52.40 billion US dollars in the year 2010.
Waste collection companies face various challenges when implementing collection of sensor data in smart waste containers deployed at various sites and recycling stations at different locations; the challenges include the following, for example:    (i) battery-operated sensors potential stop operating when their source of operating power is exhausted and often require frequent service;    (ii) there is a need to try to avoid high-costs associated with data transmission, as well as wireless radiation footprint;    (iii) there is a need to ensure a long service life of the smart waste container; and    (iv) there is a need to reduce sensor-complexity, for example for reducing manufacturing costs and resources used in manufacturing the sensors.
For example, it is highly inefficient for waste collection companies and end users to have to execute regular servicing of the waste container to ensure its proper functioning. However, it is desirable to improve an efficiency of the sensor deployed in waste container, so that fewer resources are utilized in its operation.